Proficiency Point Explanation

Skills in Al’Akwannon are referred to as proficiencies. The proficiency system is a core element for characters in this game system allowing for thousands of permutations between skill levels, broad sweeping general knowledge items and in depth specific skills. This is intended to allow for the crafting of any imaginable character concept’s perceived skills to be possible with a number of proficiency points available to allow appropriate skill synergy. If you find yourself unable to find an appropriate skill, feel free to describe your dilemma to the DM so he can help you assign an appropriate proficiency. Below are rules on proficiency points, skill improvement, new skills gains, etc.

All characters gain proficiency points (PP) at the time of character creation to select both weapon and non-weapon related proficiencies. Characters may spend these points as desired and may have bonus points due to a high knowledge score. All character classes begin with a base 60 PP to distribute between all proficiency types. In addition, characters gain some basic, everyday skills (refer to the proficiency worksheet) at no cost and may additionally gain free proficiencies from racial heritage. It is recommended that racial skills are selected from the appropriate race template before proceeding with the standard proficiency purchase as it will save you proficiency points in the long run. Some of the free “everyday” skills are rudimentary, but most are standard level proficiencies. The free rudimentary skills may be upgraded by the character to a higher level of proficiency provided they have the PP to spend and/or the upgrade slots available in the case of specialization.

Proficiencies may be purchased at one of three levels: Rudimentary , Standard and Specialized. Rudimentary proficiencies represent rough knowledge in the area of concern. Any test of this knowledge or skill base requires a successful skill roll and more difficult areas of knowledge will prove beyond the scope of such proficiency. Standard proficiencies basically mimic what exists in most RPG skill and proficiency systems currently. Simple knowledge or skill tests are generally automatic, while more in depth or challenging tests will require a successful skill roll and may incur bonuses or penalties according to that difficulty. Specialized proficiencies now allow amazing feats to be performed and incredibly detailed knowledge to be gained. Normal and even average tests of such skills do not even require a roll, while only extreme tests require a success. Skills should be noted on the character sheet as ® if Rudimentary, normal non-bold text if Standard and in bold if Specialized.

Beyond this basic “level” of proficiency, there are a great many skills which require specifying the area or areas of knowledge or expertise. These are generally referred to as either generalized or specific skills. Proficiencies taken as “general” will cover a broad spectrum of knowledge but not at any depth. As such, they cannot provide much in the way of details on a subject and for larger category skills (such as Architecture) they will not know much if anything on the various sub-fields other than what they are. Proficiencies taken as specific (which means to specify an area, such as Architecture: Castle Walls) delve deeply into the sub-area concerned while ignoring most of the more “general” concepts except as they pertain to the specialty. All judgments regarding the scope and limitations of proficiencies are the DM’s domain. Any proficiency which is not stated as requiring a specification, may be still be purchased with a specialty if desired and will give more skill or influence in the area specified (i.e. – there is no spec requirement for Geology, but if the skill Geology: Precious Stones is taken, knowledge about precious stones will be much higher while general geological knowledge will be less detailed.)

Rudimentary and standard proficiencies start at a base score of 3% times the base adjusted attribute (i.e. – a person with a 12 intuition who buys Land Based Riding [intu +3] gains a base score of 45%.) Specialized proficiencies start at a base score of 1% times the base adjusted attribute. Characters may immediately or at any time later improve base scores of various skills by spending available PP. Rudimentary skills may be improved by 10%/PP spent (multi-class rogues gain 15%/PP, single class rogues gain 20%/PP), standard skills may be improved by 5%/PP spent (multi-class rogues gain 10%/PP, single class rogues gain 15%/PP) and specialized skills may be improved by 2%/PP spent (multi-class rogues gain 5%/PP and single class rogues gain 10%/PP.) Characters of higher than first level as starting characters gain an additional 1d6% to rudimentary skills, + 1d4 % to standard skills, + 1d3 % to specialized skills for all of their proficiencies for each level above first (DM ruling for skills purchased after 1st.)

To allow characters to grow on a game to game basis, all proficiencies that are used during the course of a session should be marked. At the end of the session, a percentile roll is made against the proficiency. For rudimentary skills, if the roll is higher (aka you fail the roll,) the proficiency is improved 1d6+2% (e.g. it is easier to improve skills which are low.) For standard skills, if the roll is higher, the proficiency is improved by 1d4+2%. If the roll is successful for either rudimentary or standard skills, there is still a +2% gain awarded. Basically skills become harder to improve the higher they get as it becomes more difficult to fail an improvement roll.

Specialized proficiencies, on the other hand, are extremely difficult to improve at any noticeable rate. First it is rare to even need to roll a specialized proficiency and gain the opportunity to improve. However, given the opportunity, if the improvement check is higher ( failed ) the character gains 1d4%. However, if the roll is made, the skill is not improved at all.

Additionally, characters who choose to engage in email interaction and setup between games have the opportunity to gain +2% email bonuses to skills as approved by the DM. A player may not gain an email improvement for any skill successfully improved during the previous session nor may a player gain an email improvement for any skill successfully improved in an immediately prior email (i.e. – an improvement to Fire Building is gained in an email after the 3rd^ game session, a player may not gain another bonus to that skill if an email is written after session four.) Additionally, a player must make a reasonable attempt at describing a skill use different than a prior use (thus writing that a character makes the cook fire each night will only garner a +2% bonus once.)

Once a standard or rudimentary skill reaches 91% or higher, a player may choose to roll over the skill into the next highest category at any time. Rudimentary skills are allowed to roll over into the standard level with the extra percentages becoming the new base (i.e. a 92% rudimentary skill rolls over to a 2% standard skill.) As this is almost an impossible roll to make it is generally recommended to allow a skill to grow to 110% before rolling it over. Standard skills may only roll over into the specialization level if upgrade slots are available but may continue to grow as Standard level skills forever (however, keep in mind they cannot be improved at a rate faster than +2% per usage once beyond 100% but these bonuses will offset situational penalties to skill use.)

At first level, no character may have more than one specialized non-weapon proficiency other than a Rogue character which may have two (both multi and single class rogues qualify for this.) Beyond that, characters may upgrade standard proficiencies which have reached 90% or more at a rate of one every sixth level (6, 12, 18, etc.) Multi-classed rogues gain upgrade opportunities at one every four levels (4, 8, 12, 16, etc.) Single class rogues gain upgrade opportunities at a rate of one every three levels (3, 6, 9, 12, etc.) Upgrades may be held until proficiency reaches the 90% level and may be adopted at any time once criteria are met. However, the difference between skill rollover (paragraph above) and spending a specialization slot is that the skill gains a one time 10% bonus. Thus a skill at 92% which becomes specialized turns into a 12% specialized skill. This bonus applies only when gaining new specializations, not those gained during character creation.

Above and beyond the game to game improvements all characters gain additional PP and IP (skill improvement points) when they gain levels. Each character gains 2 new PP and 2 new IP when they gain a level in their highest class. Multi-class rogues gain an additional 1PP and 1IP when they level in rogue and single class rogues an additional 2PP and 2IP (basically 4PP and 4IP every level) however the bonus PP can ONLY be spent on non-weapon proficiencies (not weapon related.) Multi-class warriors gain an additional 1WP (weapon skill points) when they gain a level in warrior and single class warriors gain an additional 2WP which can only be spent on weapon proficiencies. New proficiencies of any kind must be approved by the DM and may be purchased at the normal purchase price. As always, points can be saved until an appropriate spending time is reached.